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There Aren't a Trillion Different Smells After All

Posted by timothy on from the but-only-two dept.

New submitter Neuronaut137 writes: Last year a paper in Science magazine reported that humans can distinguish a trillion different odors, a result that had already made its way into neuroscience and psychology textbooks. Two new papers just published in eLife overturn that result, pointing to fatal flaws in experimental design and data analysis. Oh, well; thinking I had a superpower was fun while it lasted.

6 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Colors you can see by suso · · Score: 4, Funny

    I remember throughout the 90s seeing various textbooks or articles saying that the human eye could only distinguish 16.7 million colors. *rolls 24-bit eyes*

    1. Re:Colors you can see by Dunbal · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No, it's seeing people (like a carpenter I hired yesterday for a job) struggle to add 75 and 60 in their head that makes me feel superior. I don't expect them to understand complicated things.

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      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:Colors you can see by PPH · · Score: 3, Funny

      Evidently you've never heard anyone try to sing the Star Spangled Banner (To Anacreon in Heaven) at a basball game.

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      Have gnu, will travel.
    3. Re:Colors you can see by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      There's an app for that!

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    4. Re:Colors you can see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, it's seeing people (like a carpenter I hired yesterday for a job) struggle to add 75 and 60 in their head that makes me feel superior. I don't expect them to understand complicated things.

      No, it's seeing there are people out there that aren't smart enough to build things themselves, that they have to hire a carpenter to do it for them.

  2. Re:This is science by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

    Oops, test number and measure of statistical significance.

    Drat Slashdot. Where is the damned edit button.

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!